Forced Reunions
by MsEcogeek
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . . a family was divided. AU (I do not own the cover image)
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

On a world in the Outer Rim called Colstev, the sun slowly set on a bustling smugglers base, glinting off the cavern walls and the hulls of the ships coming and going, their lights creating their own little ever changing starscape. The woman in charge of it all stood looking out the picture window of her office in the command center, not seeing what was going on but rather seeing what had happened.

And it brought her little joy.

With her red gold hair now lightly shot through with gray and her striking features having become more weathered, not just from age but also from sorrow and strain, in the past years.

The comm attached to her collar pinged and she tapped it "Yes?"

"Ma'am she's here" a filtered voice responded, a hesitant note in the man's tone

But she ignored it, they had discussed this already "Send her in" she ordered, cutting off the connection.

The door swished open behind her to admit an old diminutive alien dressed like a spacer with oversized goggles, who up until recently had run one of the most noted watering holes in the galaxy, though maybe not for the best reasons.

"You've changed." said Maz Kanata, intently studying the woman who stood before her silhouetted by the sun from behind.

"And you haven't." she stated, shooting a look at the small being beside her before tuning back to look out the window. "You never were one for pleasantries. Why have you contacted me?"

"It is time. The Force-"

Glaring, she cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand "Don't talk to me about the Force. I want nothing to do with any of it, ever again." turning sharply, she stabbed a finger at Maz "Skywalker put his trust in the Force and look what happened."

Maz eyed her intently, the sunlight making the yellow skin of her face glow golden "I know you can still feel it, even after everything. You can't deny it, no matter how hard you try."

Her features hardened in annoyance "if you only came here to try and pull me back into this-"

"She's alive."

the woman blinked at her in confusion for a moment then realization slowly dawn, shock and denial flash through her green eyes "No, that's impossible, she's dead." the woman breathed, closing her eyes against the memories suddenly bombarding her. "I failed her and she died with him." she whispered, pained.

"I saw her, as plain as I see you now." Maz countered firmly but not without sympathy "There is only one person she could be."

"You're wrong." The woman protested, shaking her head. "No one could have survived an attack like that, if she was alive I would know." opening her eyes and planting her hands on the desk before her, she stared hard into the wizened face before her " _I would know._ " she bit out.

"She found the lightsaber." Maz said plainly.

"What?" she gasped, sinking into her chair "How?"

"It called to her" Maz stated plainly. "The Force is strong with her, even more so than anyone else in your family."

the woman turned away from her, shock radiating from her in waves. Shakily, she raised her hand, tapping her comm.

"Aves, prepare my ship "

* * *

Sitting on a rocky protuberance on the cliff face, Rey closed her eyes and turned her face into the moist salty breeze coming from the ocean crashing into a cove beneath her.

She didn't think there could be a planet more different from Jakku than this.

Six Months ago she arrived on Ahch-to sent by General Leia Organa to bring her brother Jedi Master Luke Skywalker back home to help in the war between the Resistance and the First Order.

Only to find that the hero of the rebellion had renounced war and violence to the point of even refusing to wear his own lightsaber.

'Luke Skywalker' Rey thought amusedly to herself 'The Luke Skywalker.'

The man she had once thought was only a myth. Growing up on Jakku she had heard the stories of the Jedi, the Clone Wars and the Rebellion from a few old timers but had never payed much attention to them, there were much more important things to do, like surviving.

Opening her eyes she fingered the narrow braid that hung down behind her left ear. Thinking about what had occurred after they had first met high on top of the island caused a little smile to appear.

It took some doing but she finally convinced him to train her.

Because as much as she hated to admit it Kylo Ren was right about one thing, she did need a teacher.

" _Rey"_ When the call came, it came through the Force.

Master Skywalker was looking for her and he wouldn't like it if he found her on the cliff, _again_.

She didn't quite understand why he was so overprotective of her. Maybe it came from her being so strong in the Force or maybe it was just him.

" _Coming"_ she responded as she stood up and took one last long look over the sea. She was still relieved he had agreed to teach her. She wasn't sure what had convinced him in the end, but she was grateful. As she climbed back down the cliff an ironic half smile spread across her face. No, it hadn't been easy, but then again she never really trusted it when things were too easy. In her experience if something seemed easy there was usually a catch.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Resistance squads four through seven report for evacuation " a tinny voice came from over the comm

"Did you hear that buddy, we're finally evacuating this place." Poe Dameron said as him and Finn headed out to the landing field on D'qar

"yeah, what with the First order knowing where we are the sooner we get off this planet the better. Actually I'm surprised the haven't attacked yet." Finn said

"I know huh, but they're probably still reeling from the blow we gave them at Starkiller Base." Poe said with a note of pride in his voice.

"For six months? No, they're planing something Poe" Finn said worriedly

"Huh, the general has been saying the same thing. Hey, maybe you have the force too." Poe said

"Me, force sensitive? No way, I just know how they think and they wouldn't just be sitting around doing nothing, they will be plotting and planning how to strike back." Finn said

* * *

" Well if it isn't 'The Best Pilot in the Resistance' " a sarcastic feminine voice came from behind them "maybe that title should be 'The Best Pilot in the Resistance _in a x-wing_ '" said a Twi'lek woman with green highlights on her cheekbones, chin and the tips of her lekku, walking up to them and resting her arm on Poe's shoulder "You try flying an A-wing and something tells me you would probably crash into a cliff."

"What gave you that idea? The Force?" Poe shot back teasingly

"No, more like the time when we were on Yavin IV and you took the _Phantom II_ out for a joyride."

"You crashed?" Finn shot Poe a look, sarcasm a little to clear for Poe's liking

"I was twelve and besides I didn't crash it I just scraped the paint."

"Not the way my mother tells it. You were heading straight for the Palace of the Woolamander, remember." She smirked.

A high pitched squeal came from behind them as BB-8 shot past them and bounced off the leg of a nearby X-wing.

An old C1 droid rolled after him at high speed and rammed into the smaller droid, knocking him a few feet forward.

BB-8 blatted in protest and extended a little arm from his body that sparked warningly.

The C-1 let out a whistle that sounded disturbing like evil laughter and two arms extended from its dome. Then reaching forward it poked at BB-8.

Who shocked him.

Sparking and twitching, the C1 kicked BB-8 into a nearby A-wing.

Only for BB-8 to come flying back at him whistling a war cry and knocking the C1 into a pile of spare parts.

"Chopper, stop that." she said sternly to an old C1 droid kicking BB-8 around like a soccer ball "Sorry about that Poe, Chopper gotten more crotchety in his old age."

"'More crotchety?'" Poe demanded sarcastically "hasn't he always been crotchety? If he's gotten more so don't let him anywhere near my ship."

"Why's that?" asked Finn

"Because it was him who caused me to crash when we were kids."

"So you admit you crashed?"

"Don't use one of your mind tricks on me, Dee." Poe said

"wouldn't think of it." she said winking

"Hey BB-8 how it going" the Twi'lek said gently to the droid hiding behind Poe's leg. "Sorry about Chopper, I think he's just jealous of you" she whispered, comforting the nervous droid. "I'll be glad to give you a tune up later, BB" she said causing BB-8 to beep excitedly.

"Hold on a second, no one does any maintenance on him but me." Poe said

"You forget," she said "I'm the one who built him in the first place and sometimes he just needs a woman's touch."

"I'm sorry, who are you" Finn asked

"Deepa Jarrus" the Twi'lek woman said reaching out her gloved hand towards Finn "I'm Phoenix Leader, and I can fly rings around this guy any day. . . and you are?"

"I'm Finn." said Finn

"Oh, so you're the bucket head" Deepa said with a teasing glint in her blue-green eyes

"Hey! . . . Wait a minute. That's a lightsaber." Finn said gesturing to the cylindrical device hanging from the belt attached to her flight harness "and the The Force? I thought Skywalker was the last of the Jedi."

"Oh, this old thing" Deepa said tapping the lightsaber "It belonged to my father and by the way you don't have to be a Jedi to wield the force. "

"So, what are you doing here anyway Dee? I thought Phoenix Squadron was stationed with the 5th fleet charged patrolling the northern edge of Hutt Space and the surrounding sectors, or was fighting pirates getting too boring for you"

"You're the thrill seeker, Dameron, not me. But today, I'm part of the evacuation fleet to Tyloth"

* * *

Walking back into the hangar Finn saw Jessika Pava. Jess was nice and seemed to know just about everyone on the base, but she was nothing like Rey.

' _Rey_ '

Finn thought fondly of the scavenger girl he had met on Jakku, with her straight forward manner and clear cut view of things. With her he didn't feel like a socially awkward and sheltered ex-trooper.

It had been months since they had heard of her. The last time he had seen her was on Starkiller Base, just after Kylo Ren had thrown her into a tree knocking her unconscious.

Everyone had told him what had happened after he had been struck by Kylo Ren's lightsaber and he still couldn't believe it.

Rey, a Jedi ?

A thought struck him and he shot the pilot a look as she pulled off her helmet "Hey, Jess. can I ask you a question"

"Sure! What is it?" the girl shot him a look, shaking out her sweat slicked brown hair.

"Have you heard anything about -" started Finn, breaking off as a familiar ship came into the hangar.

Pulling out her comlink, Jess said "This is Blue Three, inform General Organa the _Millennium Falcon_ has returned." Jess turned back to her dark companion but he was gone.

Finn had started running towards the ship as soon as they had seen it. "Rey!" he called out as the boarding ramp was lowered. But only Chewbacca and R2-D2 came out much to the worriment of Finn.

Leia came into the hangar and started talking to Chewie urgently.

"Ma'am," Finn called "where's Rey?"

"Finn, don't worry," Leia said placing a reassuring hand on his arm "I just talked with Chewie. Rey has had some difficulty convincing Luke to return. So she told Chewie to take the _Falcon_ and R2-D2 and to come back here to help us, while she stayed and trained with Luke. She will contact us when she's ready to come back."

As Leia walked into her office she looked up and saw Mara Jade sitting behind her desk.

"How did you get in here?" Leia demanded

"I have my ways." Mara said nonchalantly "Where is she?"

"Who?" Leia asked

"Stop it. You know who, Rey." Mara spat.

"She's not here." Leia said

"I can see that, where is she?" Mara asked again.

"I sent her to find Luke." Leia admitted.

"What! How could you-! Luke is not coming back and even if he did he won't be able to save you this time." Mara stated

"How dare you! You abandoned him when he needed you the most." Leia accused.

"If you're talking about the Jedi and the Temple, you have no idea what happened there that day." Mara growled.

Striding away from her Mara turns and states emphatically "I will not let you pull Rey into your war the way you did Luke."

"Jade-" Leia growls as she turns back to the other woman only to see that she's no longer there, instead Finn was standing there. Reaching for the comm, she activates it broadcasting over the whole base.

"This is General Organa the base is on lockdown until further notice. No one may leave the base without authorization." Leia stated.

"Am I interrupting something,Ma'am?" Finn asked warily.

No, not at all" Leia said resignedly.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked

"Yes I am" Leia said in a tone that brooked no argument "Well, it looks like you're up for sentry duty. Go find Poe and he'll get you geared up" Leia said.

"Yes, Ma'am" said Finn walking away.

* * *

"Hey Poe" Finn called over to Poe and Deepa who were either bickering or flirting though it was hard to tell.

Hey buddy," Poe called back "I'll be seeing you around Dee" Poe said as Deepa climbed into an old

U-wing filled with supplies and personnel for evacuation. "What's up?" Poe asked

"I just got assigned sentry duty,but. . ." Finn trailed off

"But what?" Poe asked

"Is everything okay with the general?" asked Finn

"What do you mean?" Poe asked back

"she thought I was someone called Jade." Finn said perplexed .

"Wait a minute." Said Poe grabbing Finn by the arm. "Did you just say ' _Jade_ ' ?!"

"Yeah," Finn replied confused "what's going on Poe?"

Letting go of Finn's arm running his hand thru his dark hair and turning away."Oh man, if she's here no wonder we're on lockdown."

"From what I overheard, the general and her don't seem to get along very well."

Leaning against the wall of the corridor Poe says "That an understatement."

"So who is she?" asked Finn starting to get frustrated.

"I don't think anyone really knows. Bounty Hunter, Smuggler, Spy, Imperial assassin, Jedi survivor, take your pick. There's a lot of rumors." He said with a scoff. " Heck, there's even one out there that there might have been something between her and Luke Skywalker. But one thing I do know, she's trouble."

"and now she's going after Rey" said Finn with a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, buddy, remember she took out Kylo Ren and now that she's training with Skywalker, I don't think you have to worry about her much." Poe said clapping Finn on the shoulder and walking down the corridor. "Come on let get you ready for your shift on sentry duty."

Stepping out from the shadows of an alcove. Mara gazed down the corridor at the retreating backs of the two young men. Noting with apprehension that the younger one walked with the assured step of a stormtrooper.

Slipping into the droid pool Mara quietly walked over to R2-D2 activating a switch on his dome.

"Hey, Artoo" a wistful note in her voice "I need your help."

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm late, Master Skywalker. I was -" said Rey rushing into the room, the words spilling out hopefully before any protest could be made. Only there was no one there. "Master Skywalker? Master are you in here?" called Rey looking around the empty room. "Oh, I get it. Another test, right." she said with a bemused but slightly annoyed look on her face. "Let me guess, I'm supposed to find you with the Force. Seems a little childish to me though."

Closing her eyes and reaching out with the force she scanned the room, feeling for any disturbance, anything that felt different.

'Nothing' Rey thought to herself leaning against a rock jutting out of the wall, losing her balance as it moved and a small drawer knocks into her calf. Kneeling down, she looked inside only finding an old holorecorder and a necklace with two glowing kyber crystals, one soft green, the other bright blue, fused together. Pulling out the recorder, she activates it.

* * *

 _A woman with her hair twisted into a thick braid falling down her right shoulder appears holding out her arms saying"You can do it, sunshine. Come on, you can do it." as a little girl no more than a year and a half tries to take a few steps towards her but falls back down._

" _Do or do not, there is no try" Luke Skywalker's voice says from somewhere off camera._

" _Can't you stop with the Jedi sayings for a few minutes, farm boy" the woman says with an amused look on her face._

" _You know you're only one who calls me that anymore. Besides the sooner she learns these things, the better." Luke says, coming over to the girl and helping her stand up._

" _Oh really? and how old were you when you first learned about the Force?"she says as the girl takes a few more steps then stops, wobbling on her small feet as Luke comes up behind her and putting his metal hand on her back to support her._

" _That- That's not the point. The Jedi of the Old Republic started their training when they weren't much older than her."_

" _Yes, and look at how that turned out for them." she said going over to the girl and picking her up. "We've had this discussion before. Rey will start her training when the Force calls to her and not a moment before."_

" _Mara, I am her Father" Luke said, calling after her._

" _Yes, and I'm her mother." Mara said, turning back around. "If you want to argue about it we can go down to the sparring arena and settle it there."_

" _That's not the Jedi way." said Luke with a disapproving stare._

" _I'm not a Jedi" Mara said with a smirk._

" _Master Skywalker" a small voice interrupted. As the camera paned over to a young boy with dark hair and even darker eyes standing in the doorway.  
"Ben, there you are. I was wondering where you had gotten to."_

* * *

"Rey"

Turning around she sees Luke standing there.

"You" whispers Rey with tears running down her face."you've known the whole time, haven't you?"

"Rey, listen -"

"No!" yells Rey jumping up "why should I listen to anything you have to say. You abandoned me on Jakku. Do you have any idea what that was like, years alone, waiting for my family to come back for me. When all the time you were here, doing nothing!"

"Rey," Luke said, reaching out his right hand as if to reassure her and then pulling it back unsure. Sitting down on a bench and bowing his head in a posture of defeat, he continued. "During the battle at the temple, I told your mother to get you away from there, to take you someplace safe. The last time I saw the both of you was when she ran down the corridor with you in her arms."

Staring up at her with a pleading look in his eyes, he said. "If I had known you were still alive I would have searched the whole galaxy for you. But during the fight I felt a large disturbance in the Force, shock, fear and then nothing. After the battle there was no sign of you or your mother, only her ship, destroyed and that necklace you're holding. I . . . I assumed that you were both dead."

Rey looked at him with confusion and tears brimming in her eyes. "But the bodies-?"

"Sometimes when a Jedi dies the body disappears. Both you and your mother were very strong in the force, so I assumed the two of you had become one with it. But the reason I didn't tell you when you first arrived was that after what happened with Be-Kylo I didn't want you to have to live with the burden, the curse, of being a Skywalker."

Sitting down next to him "What curse?" she asked curiously , sitting down next to him

"The Force is strong in my family." Luke said quietly "My father has it, I have it, my sister has it. You have that power too. Though sometimes I feel it's too strong, and that's what the problem is."

"How could that be a problem?" asked Rey.

Reaching over to put his hand on her knee, Luke explained. "I was told once that Jedi who use the Force too much for power, always fall to the dark side. My father was the strongest Jedi of his time, but he fell to the dark side, not from faulty training but because he could not control his own power. Even though Leia was never really trained she has still suffered. What with being forced to watch as her home world was destroyed, losing her son to the dark side and now Han." Luke said glancing down "and you've seen what has happened to Ben. He would have made a good Jedi, had he learned control. But his power in the force has always been unstable, one minute he can stop blaster bolts with his bare hand, the next he can't even pick up a pebble."

"You don't seem to have any of those problems" stated Rey.

"Perhaps not now, but I did in the past." a wry expression crossing Luke's face.

"Like what?" said Rey with an incredulous look.

"In the early days, I felt I was the only one who could hold everything together. In doing so I came within a split blaster bolt of destroying myself before your mother straightened me out. But even then it was too late, a short time later the Jedi were all but destroyed again." standing up and going over to the window Luke said "That's what I didn't want you living with, why I didn't tell you."

"Then you're a fool." Rey said

"What?" gasped Luke, turning to face her.

"You heard me." said Rey standing up and striding over to him. "You didn't tell me because you feared what would happen if I knew I was part of your family. That's rubbish, it wouldn't have made a difference either way. You should have told me, at least then I would know what was going on. Rather than thinking it's just me."

"If you want to leave, I understand." Luke said "I haven't been much of a teacher to you, or a father"

"I'll stay," Rey replied after thinking for a moment "but I'm not ready to start calling you my father." Rey said looking back at him.

"I understand, believe me I understand" Luke said quietly to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Up in the sentry tower Finn peered through a pair of macrobinoculars looking out over the hills and forests of the Resistance base. He saw Mara Jade following behind R2-D2, heading towards a highly modified Suwantek TL-1800 light freighter. Thinking she was stealing him, Finn began to follow them to the ship. As the ramp started to lift Finn jumped aboard. Once he was on the ship he began to look for a hiding place, choosing to hide in one of the bunk rooms. After the ship had been in hyperspace for a while Finn thought he heard a voice coming in his direction, so heading over to the door he pressed his ear against it to listen.

"We go in, get her out and bring her back to Colstev." Mara said to Artoo, walking from the cockpit down the corridor of bunk rooms who whistled after her. "No, I don't care if Rey wants to come with us or not, she's coming and that's final." Mara said to the droid "Oh, and don't forget to recalculate our jumps, just in case anyone is on . . . our . . . tail." Mara said, quickly turning and hitting the panel to open the door.

"Unhh" groaned Finn as his back hit the metal grating that covered the deck. "That can't be good" Finn moaned, remembering what the doctors had told him after waking up in the Resistance med bay. Taking a direct lightsaber blow, his back had severed some key muscles and had caused a quite a bit of nerve damage. So if he wanted to advert permanent damage he needed to avoid any major impacts for at least a year and something told him that might have counted as a 'major impact'. Opening his eyes Finn found himself staring up at a wicked looking blaster, wielded by a very dangerous looking woman

"Definitely not good" Finn said to himself.

"I see you're one for stating the obvious." she said with a touch of a core world accent, the blaster never wavering. "Now you have two seconds to answer my questions or I'll blast you to dust and throw you out the air lock." she said with a deadly gleam in her green eyes.

"What?!" Finn said incredulously as R2-D2 came over to him and beeped at Mara.

"What do you mean he's on our side?" Mara asked incredulously

Artoo blatted and whistled

"Fine, welcome aboard the _Skywatcher"_ Mara said "but you do as I say or you'll regret it. Now into the cockpit"

A First Order blockade cruiser was hovering in the viewport "That- that's an imperial checkpoint," Finn gasped "I knew it." grabbing up a blaster from the rack by the door he points it at her "I won't let you hurt Rey."

Rolling her eyes she reached out with the force grabbing the blaster from his hand.

"You -You're like Kylo Ren." Finn said, jaw agape. "You're an agent of the first order." With a grimace Mara pushed Finn into a chair and pinning him there. "Sit down, don't touch anything and be quiet. I have to deal with this." Mara said as an imposing imperial voice came over the comm.

"This is First Order checkpoint 327, travel through this sector is only permitted by authorization. Prepare to transmit your clearance code" reaching over to it Mara replied.

"Recognition code hapspir, barini, corbolan, triaxis. Drop your gravity well. It is imperative I am not delayed any longer than I already have been."

"Understood ma'am, what is your destination?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" Mara said quietly "What your operating number? This _will_ be reported."

"Forgive me ma'am. The gravity well will be dropped immediately."

Very well, trooper. I'll overlook it, _this_ time."

She pulled back on the hyperspace levers as the starlines streaked past the viewport, revealing the familiar blue glow of hyperspace. Settling into the captain's chair she released Finn from her force grip and turning to face him she said "Now what's this all about me hurting Rey, _Trooper_. . ."

* * *

"Rey, Rey, where are you?" Luke called out looking over one of the many coves on the island.

"What?" Rey said from above.

"What are you doing up there?" Luke scolded

"it's no big deal." Rey said placatingly

" 'No big deal'?! You're four meters high. Get down here right now." Luke ordered.

"Fine" Rey said climbing down.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked starting to panic.

"Really I'm fine. I've been climbing like that since I was seven." Rey said placatingly.

"and that's supposed to make me feel better?" Luke asked.

"No." Rey said with a smirk.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath Luke said sadly "You're a lot like your mother."

"what was she like?" Rey asked.

" Ask me that again some time. Come, it's time for lightsaber training" Luke said leading the way out of the cove

* * *

"Here" said Luke picking up his old lightsaber from its stand and out handing it to Rey.

"I don't know" said Rey apprehensively "I'm still not comfortable with it. Isn't there something else I could use instead? Another lightsaber perhaps?"

"You are strong in the force, but not _that_ strong." said Luke, a wry smile peeking through. "If you're going to learn how to deflect blaster bolts, you're still going to need to use a lightsaber and until you make one of your own this one will have to do."

"Fine" Rey said reaching out her hand and pulling the hilt towards her with the Force.

"You've gotten very good at that," Luke remarked warily "it took me three years to learn how to do it."

"Like you said, I'm a fast learner" Rey remarked closing her eyes. Then activating the blade, angling it across her body and settling into a battle stance.

Nothing happened.

Opening one eye Rey saw Luke standing with his head cocked like he was listening to something, his eyes glazed over with a look of disbelief spreading across his face.

"Master Skywalker?" Rey asked opening the other eye and walking over to him. "Dad, what is it?"

"I sense something, something I've not felt since. . ." Luke whispered to himself more than anyone. "Can it be? But that's impossible." he said, taking off towards the flat outcropping that doubled as a landing pad.

"What are you talking about? Hey wait!" called Rey running after him.

More than halfway down the massive stone staircase they saw an incoming ship.

"Is it the First Order?" Rey asked

"I don't think so." Luke said slowly

"Then I'm going to see who it is" Rey said determinedly, running ahead.

"Rey, _wait!_ "Luke called after her.

Luke and Rey arrived just as the ship touched down.

Putting his arm out to stop Rey from going any farther. "Stay behind me and let me do the talking. At least until we know what's going on." Luke said as the boarding ramp lowered and a familiar face appeared.

"FINN!" Rey screamed with joy running towards the young man who rushed down the ramp and throwing her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe it, you're here and you're okay. I was so worried about you when I saw you lying in the snow on Starkiller Base. I know the medics said you would be okay, but there's a large difference in what they think is okay and from what most people think is okay." Rey said, the words coming out of her mouth faster than the _Millennium Falcon_ in hyperspace.

"Whoa, hang on a second Rey, slow down." Finn said with a chuckle "it's good to see you too."

"Come on" Rey said grabbing Finn's hand, a wide grin splitting her face "I can't wait to show you around"

"Mara." Luke whispered disbelievingly as if she might fade away like dew in the summer sun.

"it's been a long time, Skywalker." Mara says, walking down the ramp "Although I'm not sure about the beard."

"Why don't you come in,Mara. We have a lot to talk about." Luke said with a smile, gesturing towards the old temple.

* * *

Watching Rey leading Finn around the temple ruins from above, Mara said "You haven't told her."

stating a fact rather than asking a question.

"I didn't have to. She found an old holorecording Artoo took of us in the temple from when she was little."

"I bet that went over well." Mara said sarcastically.

"She took it better than I did." Luke said

"Of course she did. For one thing you didn't cut off her hand." Mara said sarcastically.

"Oh, here's your necklace. Rey found where I kept it." Luke said handing her the fused kyber crystals.

"What happened, Mara " Luke asked sitting down next to her. "all of a sudden you were just gone."

"We had just about made it to the ship when _he_ appeared. I hid Rey, but he had me in a force choke. I tried to fight back but I couldn't break free. There was a barrel of rydonium against the far wall so I pulled out my blaster and fired. It distracted him long enough for me to pull away but it destroyed the ship, that's when I lost the crystals. I shielded Rey and myself with the Force so we could get away and I knew I had to get her someplace safe so I took her to Karrde. He had pieced it all together by that time, Skywalker." Mara said looking over at him.

"That doesn't surprise me." Luke said wryly "I think Han had his suspicions about us as well."

"Anyway, I left her with him on the _Wild Karrde_ and I went back to find you." said Mara gazing down at her hands. "But when I got there everyone was dead and you were gone. I had nothing left so I went back for her, but I was too late. When I arrived the _Wild Karrde_ was drifting in space all but destroyed."

"You know" Mara said sadly. "I really thought, with my past, I could have helped him."

"You probably helped him more than any of us." Luke said putting his hand on Mara's shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The sun was setting over Ahch-to streaking the sky with color, as Rey led Finn down to the cove.

"So what do you think?" Rey asked excitedly, sitting down by the edge of the cove.

"I have to admit I've never been to a place that's so serene" Finn sighed gazing out over the ocean, as a group of porgs flew by. One swooped down to land in Rey's outstretched hand.

"So what's been going on with the Resistance while I've been gone?" Rey asked, petting the little

bird-like creature.

"Before I left we were beginning evacuating to somewhere called Tyloth" said Finn amazed at the young woman sitting next to him.

"Should you even be telling me this?" Rey asked warily as the porg flew off.

"Well someone is going to have to get us there, and BB-8 isn't around for me to ask." Finn said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So that's how you knew the Resistance base was in the Ileenium system." Rey said laughing. "I always wondered about that."

"You know, I've missed you" Finn said.

"As have I, my friend." Rey said quietly.

Gazing into each others eyes, they leaned closer to each other until . . . "Wait a minute,what's that?" Rey said looking over Finn's shoulder.

"What's what?" Finn asked incredulously, looking around and seeing nothing of interest.

"That glow." Rey said standing up from where she was sitting.

"What glow?" Finn asked.

"That glow, right there." Rey said grabbing Finn's arm and pointing up the wall of the cove.

"Rey, there's nothing there." Finn said placatingly.

"Argh, I'll show you, there _is_ something up there" Rey said determinedly, striding over to the rocky wall and beginning to climb.

"Rey what are you doing?" Finn asked warily.

"What do you think?" said Rey climbing higher on the cliff face.

"I think you're going to kill yourself if you go any higher." Finn said nervously.

Reaching into a crack Rey felt around until she found what she was looking for. "I got it, look out." Rey called jumping down from where she was at.

"Don't do that!" Finn exclaimed, Rey's response was to roll her eyes.

"Look what I found." Rey said with a smile, holding out her hand.

"They're beautiful, what are they?" Finn asked

"I think they're lightsaber crystals. Come on , we've got to go show my – I mean Master Skywalker." Rey said excitedly, putting the crystals in the pouch at her hip and rushing out of the cove.

Making their way back up to the temple ruins, Finn took one last look over the ocean and saw on the horizon a large group of dark shapes coming towards them.

"Hold on, a minute" Finn said, grabbing Rey's arm.

"Finn what-!" Rey gasped.

"Shhh! Be quiet!" Finn said urgently. Pulling out his macrobinoculars he scanned the darkening sky above the cove, "I've got a bad feeling about this." he said.

"Finn what is it?" Rey whispered urgently.

"Oh no, it's the First Order." Finn gasped.

"What?! How did they find us?!" Rey asked.

"I think I know." said Finn with a growl running off back towards the old temple.

"Hey, wait a minute. Finn!" Rey called after him.

* * *

"Tell me about Rey" Mara said quietly, looking over at Luke.

"She's been preoccupied lately with fear for her friend." Luke said to Mara. "She told me what had happened to him. He took a lightsaber blow to his back and she had to leave before he recovered."

"Did she tell you that he's a stormtrooper?" Mara asked coldly

" 'Was' Mara. He was a stormtrooper. Rey said he's renounced the First Order, that he wasn't going to kill for them."

"So he's a deserter then." Mara said, an odd note in her voice.

"Believe it or not, I knew some stormtrooper deserters back during the war." Luke said.

"as did I," Mara said as Luke became wary, knowing Mara didn't like to talk about her past. "they were some of the best soldiers I ever met."

"Traitor!" Finn yelled, running into the temple.

" _What_ did you just call me?" Mara whispered with a deadly look in her eye.

"You sold us out." Finn accused.

"Watch what you're saying, Trooper." Mara growled.

"what's the meaning of this, Rey?" Luke asked.

"The First Order they're here." Rey gasped.

"Are you sure about this, Rey?" Luke asked.

"We saw their landing ships." Rey stated.

"Mara get them out of here." Luke said pulling out his lightsaber and heading towards the door.

"and what do you think you're going to do?" Mara asked.

"what do you think?" Luke said with a smirk and going out the door.

"he's going to get himself killed," Mara murmured "get to the ship and stay there." she said reaching out to the force, to the lightsaber on Rey's belt and pulling it towards her.

"I don't think so." Finn said stepping forwards "You're not going anywhere."

Mara rolled her eyes then pulled out her blaster and shot Finn with a stun blast.

"Finn!" Rey screamed "what did you do?" she cried kneeling next to Finn.

"he'll be fine, now get to the ship." Mara ordered then headed out the door after Skywalker.

* * *

The two opponents faced each other lightsabers blazing , one was young, clothed in black robes, with a platoon of stormtroopers behind him. While the other one was older, weathered and dressed in tan and gray garments.

"Find the girl and bring her to me." Kylo Ren said menacingly to his stormtroopers. "If there's anyone else here, kill them."

With a scream Kylo Ren lunges at Luke swinging his lightsaber like a madman, only for his strike to be blocked easily by Luke. As the duel went on, it became clear Luke was only defending and halfheartedly at that. As if he couldn't bring himself to fight the young man that was his nephew.

"Think of your mother, your friends, your family." Luke begged.

"I have no family" Kylo Ren stated coldly. Striking out Kylo Ren slashed Luke on the upper right arm and the left thigh.

Lying wounded on the ground, Luke said. "Ben please, don't do this."

"Ben is gone!" Kylo Ren yelled raising his lightsaber for the killing blow. Only for it to be blocked by Luke's old lightsaber. Kylo Ren looked up expecting to see Rey, but instead saw Mara.

"Nice try, but the only one who gets to kill Skywalker is me." Mara said with a slight grin on her face.

Luke grimaced, though from pain or Mara's biting sarcasm, it was hard to tell.

* * *

Blinking awake, Finn jumped back seeing the blurry features of a woman hovering above him.

"Oh, it's just you." Finn gasped out, seeing it was Rey.

"Good to see you're awake." Rey said

"Man that stun blast packs a punch" Finn said wincing.

"Especially at that range" Rey said helping him up. "Now let's get to the ship."

Making their way out of the temple ruins they saw an injured Luke limping towards them.

"Dad!" Rey cried out.

"Wait. . . what?" Finn stammered

"I'm a Skywalker." Rey said matter of factly, coming over to help support Luke.

"When did that happen?" Finn asked himself.

"Finn get over here and help me." Rey called.

* * *

Lightsabers locked together the two adversaries faced each other down.

"You're outmatched Emperor's Hand" Kylo Ren said.

"In my book, experience outweighs everything" Mara scoffed, pulling away.

Ahead of Luke, Rey and Finn a platoon of stormtroopers appeared at the bottom of the flight of stairs.

"Can I borrow that?" Rey asked, reaching and grabbing Luke's lightsaber.

Stepping in front of the two men and activating the lightsaber. Rey deflected the blaster bolts back at the stormtroopers.

"Come on." Rey said, coming back over to them.

"How did you do that?" Finn asked dumbfounded.  
"It runs in the family." Luke said wryly.

"I said, come on." Rey said urgently."we need to get to the ship before any more stormtroopers find us."

* * *

Swinging his lightsaber menacingly Kylo Ren leaps towards Mara, only for her to pull out her blaster and to run towards him shooting, causing him to have to switch from attack to defense mode. So when

Mara activates her lightsaber he is totally unprepared for it. As Kylo Ren jumps back from the blade slicing towards his face, it catches part of his mask and revealing his right eye and part of his mouth. Grimacing Kylo Ren says "You shouldn't have done that." then launches himself at her.

* * *

Finally they made it to the _Skywatcher_.

"Finn, get him settled and then get to the gunner turret." Rey ordered. "We're going to have to blast our way out of here"

"You know, you're sounding more and more like Solo." Finn said wryly.

"Thanks" Rey said, smiling, as she ran to the cockpit.

Helping Luke to one of the bunk rooms Finn pulled out a bacta patch and began to bandage Luke's arm.

"Finn, I need you in the gunner turret now!" Rey said over the comm.

"Go, I'll be fine" Luke said.

Running out of the room Finn turned into the gunner's station

Sitting down the the gunner's chair Finn exclaimed "Wait a minute! What are you doing?".

"We're going back." Rey said tuning the _Skywatcher_ around.

"Why?" demanded Finn "Skywalker I understand, but Mara? She's an imperial agent."

"No, she's my mother." Rey said

"What!" Finn said incredulously. "you mean the rumors are true?"

"I don't know about any rumors. But I do know one thing, we're going back for her." Rey said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I only hope we make it in time" she murmured to herself. Putting the ship into a sharp dive to avoid the incoming blaster fire.

* * *

Left, right, left, the blows came fast and deadly.

"You need practice, boy. But I guess you can't have too many sparring partners since you've killed almost everyone off." Mara said sarcastically.

"Stop!" He screamed, spinning and slashing his blade towards her.

"I see you haven't changed much." Mara said riposting and blocking the flaming blade "You always were one for the dramatic flair."

"and you are just as sarcastic as I remember." Kylo growled, disengaging their blades "You served the old empire with great distinction Emperor's Hand. You could do so again." Kylo Ren said, breathing hard.

"I've had my fill of imperial service, boy." Mara said backing up towards the edge of the cliff with the ocean spray crashing behind her.

"Stop calling me that! I am just as powerful as Vader was." Kylo Ren shouted.

"You forget, I _knew_ Vader, and all I see is a boy playing pretend." Mara growled.

"So,you refuse my offer?" Kylo Ren asked menacingly

"Not much of an offer, if you ask me." Mara scoffed.

"I knew it. I used to think of you as a mother, someone who understood me and would always be there for me, but you're just like all the rest of them." and with a scream of anguish Kylo Ren lunged towards Mara. She blocked his thrust, but the force of his blow knocked her off her precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.

As Kylo Ren rushed forwards and reached the edge, he looked down at the sea below, hoping to see Mara falling to her death. The _Skywatcher_ flew up, the force of the wind knocking him back. As he looked up he saw Mara scrambling into the hatch.

* * *

"Nice flying back there" Mara said sitting down in the co-pilot's chair.

"It runs in the family" Rey said with a grin.

"That it does" said Luke, coming into the cockpit "but it looks like you got your mother's sense of humor."

"Next stop Tyloth. That is, if you want to come" Rey said hesitantly.

"I'll come with you." Mara said as she put her hand on Rey's shoulder and glancing over at Finn said, "all of you."

Jumping to hyperspace they looked ahead to the future knowing that whatever happens they'll face it together as a family.

THE END


End file.
